Tibouchina plant named ‘Grue-TiB 03’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Tibouchina plant named ‘Grue-TiB 03’, characterized by its upright and outwardly speading plant habit; compact growth habit with short internodes; and purple-colored flowers.

BOTANICAL CLASSIFICATION/CULTIVAR DESIGNATION

Tibouchina organensis cultivar Grue-TiB 03.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofTibouchina plant, botanically known as Tibouchina organensis, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Grue-TiB 03’.

The new Tibouchina is a product of a induced mutation breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Lünen, Germany. The objective of theprogram is to create new Tibouchinas with different plant forms andsizes.

The new Tibouchina is an induced mutation of an unnamed selection ofTibouchina organensis, not patented. Mutations were induced by exposingunrooted cuttings of the unnamed Tibouchina selection to gammaradiation. The new Tibouchina was discovered and selected by theInventor as a single flowering plant within a population of irradiatedplants of the unnamed Tibouchina selection in 1999 in a controlledenvironment in Lünen, Germany. The new Tibouchina was selected on itsplant form and growth habit.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings taken in acontrolled environment in Lünen, Germany since 1999, has shown that theunique features of this new Tibouchina are stable and reproduced true totype in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Grue-TiB 03 have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment and culture such as temperature and lightintensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Grue-TiB 03’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Grue-TiB 03’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

1. Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.

2. Compact growth habit with short internodes.

3. Purple-colored flowers.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lünen, Germany, plants of thenew Tibouchina differed from plants of the parent selection in thefollowing characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Tibouchina were more outwardly spreading thanplants of the parent selection.

2. Plants of the new Tibouchina were more compact than plants of theparent selection.

3. Plants of the new Tibouchina had smaller leaves than plants of theparent selection.

4. Plants of the new Tibouchina had smaller flowers than plants of theparent selection.

Compared to plants of the Tibouchina cultivar Grue-TiB 01, disclosed inU.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/094,274, plants of the newTibouchina are smaller, have smaller flowers, and are not as freelyflowering. Compared to plants of the Tibouchina cultivar Grue-TiB 02,disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 10/094/327, plantsof the new Tibouchina have smaller leaves, have smaller flowers and arenot as freely flowering. Compared to plants of the Tibouchina cultivarGrue-TiB 04, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.10/094,273, plants of the new Tibouchina are smaller, are not as freelybranching, have smaller leaves, and have smaller flowers. Compared toplants of the Tibouchina cultivar Grue-TiB 05, disclosed in U.S. Plantpatent application Ser. No. 10/094,334, plants of the new Tibouchina areshorter, are not as upright, have smaller leaves, have smaller flowers,and are not as freely flowering.

Plants of the new Tibouchina can be compared to plants of the Tibouchinaurvilleana Rich Blue Sun, not patented. In side-by-side comparisonsconducted in Lünen, Germany, plants of the new Tibouchina differed fromplants of the cultivar Rich Blue Sun in the following characteristics:

1. Plants of the new Tibouchina were more outwardly spreading and not asupright as plants of the cultivar Rich Blue Sun.

2. Plants of the new Tibouchina were more compact than plants of thecultivar Rich Blue Sun.

3. Plants of the new Tibouchina had smaller leaves than plants of thecultivar Rich Blue Sun.

4. Plants of the new Tibouchina had smaller flowers than plants of thecultivar Rich Blue Sun.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Tibouchina. The photograph comprises a side perspective view ofa typical flowering plant of ‘Grue-TiB 03’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photograph and following observationsand measurements were planted into 12-cm containers and grown for aboutsix months during the summer and fall in a glass-covered greenhouse inLnen, Germany. During the production of the plants, the day temperatureranged from 22 to 25° C. and night temperatures averaged 20° C. In thefollowing description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, Edition 1995, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

Botanical classification: Tibouchina organensis cultivar Grue-TiB 03.

Parentage: Induced mutation of an unnamed selection of Tibouchinaorganensis, not patented.

Propagation:

Type.—By cuttings.

Time to initiate roots.—About 15 days at 20° C.

Root description.—Fine, freely branching.

Plant description:

Form.—Upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; open form; subshrub.Appropriate for 12 to 17-cm containers. Moderately vigorous.

Plant height.—About 16 cm.

Plant diameter.—About 30 cm.

Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: About 3 to 5. Length: About 16.5cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Internode length: About 1.1 to 2.2 cm.Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Immature: 146C. Mature:Woody, 199D.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Opposite, simple. Quantity of leavesper lateral branch: About 35. Length, largest leaves: About 6 cm. Width,largest leaves: About 2.5 cm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base:Obtuse, rounded. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:Pubescent. Venation pattern: Parallel. Petiole length: About 5 to 10 mm.Petiole diameter: About 3 mm. Color: Young foliage, upper surface: 137A.Young foliage, lower surface: 147B. Fully expanded foliage, uppersurface: Darker than 147A. Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B.Venation, upper surface: 147A. Venation, lower surface: 147C. Petiole,upper and lower surfaces: 147C.

Flower description:

Flower type and habit.—Rotate flowers solitary or arranged in terminalor axillary panicles, typically three flowers per panicle; about 2 to 6flowers per lateral branch will develop during the flowering period.Flowers and flowers face mostly outward. Flowers not persistent.

Natural flowering season.—In the northern hemisphere, plants flowerduring the summer and autumn; flowering recurrent during this period.

Flower longevity on the plant.—About one day.

Fragrance.—None detected.

Flowers.—Diameter: About 6.5 cm. Depth (height): About 2.5 cm.

Flower buds (before showing color).—Length: About 2.3 cm. Diameter:About 9 mm. Shape: Roughly ovoid. Color: 146A.

Petals.—Arrangement: Five petals in a single whorl. Length: About 3.25cm. Width: About 2.6 cm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Rounded. Base: Cuneate.Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, satiny.Color: When opening, upper surface: 86A. When opening, lower surface:83A. Fully opened, upper surface: 88A. Fully opened, lower surface: 86B.

Sepals.—Arrangement: Four to five sepals in a single whorl. Length:About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute.Base: Cuneate. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color,upper and lower surfaces: 146B.

Peduncles.—Length: About 2.5 mm. Diameter: About 5 mm. Strength: Strong.Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146B.

Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: About eight to ten.Filament length: About 2.2 cm. Filament color: 83B. Anther length: About1.2 cm. Anther color: Darker than 89A. Pollen: None observed. Pistils:Quantity per flower: One. Style length: About 2.2 cm. Style color: 82A.Stigma shape: Round. Stigma color: 155C. Ovary color: 145B.

Seed/fruit.—Seed nor fruit production has not been observed.

Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Tibouchina have not beennoted to be resistant to pathogens or pests common to Tibouchina.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Tibouchina plant named‘Grue-TiB 03’, as illustrated and described.